Floated Kyle Shanahan trade package sends 49ers HC to AFC heavyweights with coveted roster

Kyle Shanahan's name has been synonymous with the San Francisco 49ers for over half a decade. After a slow start, he managed to get the team to peaks not seen since the Joe Montana era. However, with the franchise's season hanging by a thread, it might be time to consider a quick reload.

In most situations, this would mean offloading one of their best players for a quick infusion of picks and by extension, young talent. With much of the talent on the team lacking a one-and-done potential return, there's a possibility that trading its top asset, Kyle Shanahan, could net enough ammunition to get the team back in command of the NFC West overnight.

The difficult part would be finding a coach to replace such a widely respected part of the organization. The first step would be to turn him into a trade capital. He wouldn't be the first coach to be traded, as Sean Payton and a third-round pick were offloaded from the New Orleans Saints for a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second round pick, per Yahoo! Sports.

Per Broncos Wire, Bill Belichick was traded from the New York Jets to the New England Patriots for first, fourth and fifth-round picks as a relatively unsuccessful coach up to that moment with just one season above .500 under his belt.

Put simply, most coach trades cost a first round pick and a few other lower-tiered picks at minimum.

As a coach who has gone to two Super Bowls since 2019, the price for Shanahan would most likely be astronomical with at least two first round picks and a bevy of lower picks added.

Potential AFC heavyweight fits for Kyle Shanahan trade

Kyle Shanahan at San Francisco 49ers v Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Source: Getty

Kyle Shanahan most likely would be traded to an AFC team in this hypothetical scenario. This would keep the 49ers from any potential playoff losses or seeding troubles down the line. The only way such a trade could affect the 49ers would be in a Super Bowl matchup, the odds of which are mathematically minute.

The Las Vegas Raiders are a decent option with a roster of young players looking to be morphed into something special. Shanahan could coach up Brock Bowers, who has proven his worth this season in a big way.

Aidan O'Connell has also shown plenty of promise, effectively winning the Black Friday game against the Kansas City Chiefs if not for one of the most bizarre endings you'll see.

The other potential landing spot could be the Cincinnati Bengals. At 4-8, the owner and/or general manager is most likely not happy about how things have materialized with one of the strongest quarterback seasons in the league this year.

A defensive rework is seemingly guaranteed this offseason, but the Bengals may wish to go one step further than overhauling the defense and pursuing Shanahan. Zac Taylor could be offloaded to his landing spot via trade to help soften the sky-high price tag. Either way, swapping Taylor for Shanahan could be a net upgrade for the Bengals.

The San Francisco 49ers might even have an interest in getting Taylor if they can do so for cheap. Moving on from Kyle Shanahan in any capacity would likely be one of the biggest stories of the offseason, but the NFL has seen similarly huge changes before.